what is leisure time?

When I tried to explain the concept of "(of one's business) slow" in "waste of time" in English, I found positive nuance in free and leisure. Leisure in Japanese has a negative nuance.

Busy" is "killing time", but time is not "boredom".

• Translation difficulties

• A state of being "idle" with no external obligations or internal objects of devotion.
• It is not "leisure" that is "reserved" for enrichment and rest, but includes the feeling of emptiness and boredom** that comes with **excess time.
• It is often said that a prolonged "negative void" can lead to mental harm (waste of time) such as lethargy, jealousy, and negative thinking.
  • Which is more harmful, being busy or being busy? | Agora Discourse Platform

Points to consider when translating into English

• (1) Just doing nothing
  • idleness / idle time
  • Negative connotations of "idle" and "idle" | Closest to "idle" is the feeling of "engine idling" | Negative connotations of "idle" and "idle" are the feeling of "engine idling
• (2) Emphasize harm
  • the perils (or harms) of idleness
  • waste of time
  • "Perils" with alarming wording.
• (3) Boredom is a constant time
  • dead time / empty time
  • Zero productivity, time is "dead" colloquially
• 4. Leisure time
  • kill time / time-killing activities
  • Act of "killing" time
  • Note that "time" is the object.

Proposed translation*

• leisure time harms → "the harms of idleness " or "idleness hazards " an idle person → an idle person (*"free" and "at leisure" are too positive)

Difference from "leisure / free time

• The etymology of leisure scholē (ancient Greek) includes the positive value of "learning and thinking in leisure time," and even modern English takes on the nuances of rest and self-improvement.
• free time also neutral to positive.
  • Thus, in "leisure time" = "free time," the negative connotations (idleness, boredom, emptiness) fall away.

Cultural Background Memo

• In Japanese society, the context of "busy = virtue" is deeply rooted, and "busybody" tends to be a mildly derogatory term.
  • Ah, this is the influence of Japanese culture.
• Psychological research has also reported that subjective well-being declines** when free time exceeds 5 hours per day, and excessive "free time" can lead to stress and low self-esteem.

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